Tag: dolls

We’re big fans of free printable paper dolls and find ourselves downloading them all the time for our kids. But while vintage Betsy McCall paper dolls from our childhood still hold a nostalgic place in our hearts, our older kids are often drawn to more modern paper dolls with an edgier vibe, or at least pop culture references from their own lifetimes. With that in mind, I searched and found tons of fun, free printable modern paper dolls that get a big thumbs up from my older girls, including my picky teen. Related: The motherlode of free printable paper dolls for...

In light of last year’s big launch of the curvy Barbie dolls in three curvalicious body types, Mattel is following suit with a whole new series of next gen Ken dolls, A.K.A. “The Fashionistas.” Let’s just say, they’ve come a long, long way from the pale, scrawny original Ken doll of the early 60’s, let alone the vapid Valley Dude looking Ken doll of my youth who always appeared ready to burst into Jessie’s Girl at the drop of a hat. The 15 new Ken dolls come in 3 different body shapes (all of which look good in slim-fit...

Wonder Woman — let alone an exclusive all-female screening of the Patty Jenkins-directed Wonder Woman movie — does not frighten the boys and men in my life, and for that I am grateful. I mean, what kid wouldn’t want to look up to a badass superhero who’s a natural born athlete, fighter, and can bench press 15,000 pounds? And that was before she earned the bracelets. Not to mention that iconic magic lasso which so many of us coveted as kids. Related: 13 amazing superhero gifts for girls who can (and will) do anything So while we’ve featured tons of cool Wonder...

Of our entire 2016 holiday gift guide, by far one of the most popular gift ideas were the genius handmade Hamilton dolls by Christina of Etsy’s Bobeena Shop. What can we say, you all have good taste in artists — and game-changing Broadway musicals. Now she’s out with a few brand new characters to help round out the most adorable founding fathers (and mothers) around: John Laurens and Hercules Mulligan. Add them to favorites like the Schuyler sisters and Alexander Hamilton himself and you’ll have the most enviable pop culture doll collection on the planet right now. Related: The best Hamilton party theme ideas: Decor, invitations, treats, and...

Are you ready for Easter yet? It’s coming soon. And we’re here for you! I’ve spent hours browsing my favorite indie shops for the coolest bunny gifts for Easter and I’ve found 15 of the most adorable ideas for kids’ Easter baskets. Pick one or two of these gift ideas for their baskets, add a couple pieces of candy or a delicious homemade Easter treat, and you’re done. So, hop to it! (Sorry, couldn’t resist.) CMP is an rstyle affiliate Related: Need more ideas? Here are 20 more awesome bunny gifts for kids I’m a big fan of the natural, creative play of Waldorf toys,...

If you’re excited about the new American Girl boy doll that was just announced, we’ve found a mom-run company at this year’s Toy Fair that’s already making boy dolls that are diverse, too. Created by two sisters who wanted their sons to have quality dolls that looked like them and were ready for adventure, Boy Story currently makes Mason and Billy, two fully articulated 18″ plush and vinyl boy action dolls that can be purchased together or separately, with lots of accessories, clothes, and adventure books (sound familiar?), coming soon. Related: Here are 6 of the coolest and most diverse dolls. Related: Naturally...

Finally, after begging for years, we’re pleased to learn there’s going to be a boy doll from American Girl Doll this Thursday! His name is Logan Everett, and he plays drums alongside his friend, Tenney Grant, a female singer-songwriter from Tennessee. It’s actually not clear just yet if he’s the “sidekick” or they’re trying to market them as an equal team, but we will see. Logan is part of the 2017 collection of new American Girl Dolls (can we even call it that anymore? Is it now just AG Dolls?) — which happen to include several more diverse figures, including Girl of...

This past holiday season, my 9-year-old asked for a boy doll. “But not a boy baby doll,” she said, “because they’re exactly the same as the girl baby dolls when you take the clothes off. They are just girl dolls! Only in blue clothes! Though sometimes they don’t have eyelashes. And anyway, I have so many girl dolls and it’s just not fair that there aren’t boys too.” Can you tell she’s my kid? We did find a rag-style boy doll for her who she absolutely adores; but I admit I wish we had found The Doll Kind a month ago,...

After featuring Georgette’s post on 6 toymakers making diverse interracial dolls for kids, Facebook fan Melissa asked us if we know of any interracial dollhouse families. I love this question. So many of us want to bring more diversity into all our kids’ doll collections, whether you have children whose heritage is Asian, African or Latino and they want dolls that reflect themselves back to them; or you have Caucasian children, like my daughter, who has racial and ethnic diversity among her closest friends and family members, and loves surrounding herselves with dolls that reflect her world. That said, most dollhouse families you find...

As a mom to two beautiful biracial girls, I know just how difficult it can be to find diverse dolls for them to play with. When my firstborn was a baby, it was downright impossible. Today, there are so many dolls for girls and boys that capture the beauty of different skin colors, hair textures, and facial features. You just need to know where to look to find your child the perfect companion who looks “just like them.” Here are my picks for the coolest, most diverse dolls for this gift-giving season. If one of these dolls isn’t on your child’s wish list yet, it...

With Marvel and DC pretty much taking over entertainment for the past decade or so, plenty of kids are clamoring for superhero action figures for the holidays. But what I think is even cooler than Chris Evans in miniature (not that I’d complain if I had the full-size version, ahem) is a new company that lets you customize your own superhero action figure, right down to the sex, skin tone, name, and superpowers. Started by a husband-wife team, Hero Me Lab is a small company I discovered when they reached out to send me an action figure to check out and…wow. Color me super impressed. (Get...

My daughter isn’t what you’d typically call a “girly girl.” Her favorite clothes are athletic wear and she can hold her own (and then some) with the neighborhood boys in a game of flag football. But she still loves to dress up and has a collection of dolls that has taken over her room. She may not wear sparkles and bows, but she’s still a girl in every sense of the word. So I was really excited to find out about the Girly Girl Doll Company, which is redefining what it means to be “girly” in the best possible sense....

The first-ever gift I gave my daughter was a beautiful handmade doll I found on Etsy, and ever since then I’ve had a thing for gifting my kids one-of-a-kind dolls. Of course, she has her fair share (and then some) of American Girl everything, but when I find a keepsake like the handmade, organic Frida Kahlo dolls made by Mexican artists Maroma + Arte, I feel compelled add to her growing collection. She certainly doesn’t need another doll, but I really want her to have this one. And a little lesson in art history and female empowerment to go along with it won’t...

Here are some links we’ve been reading around the web this week. Hope you like them too. The making of Melody Ellison, the newest American Girl doll. Amazing read. Can’t wait to take our kids to the brand new National Museum of African American History & Culture! Until then, check out the website which is pretty great too. What happens when you try to live life as the perfect traditional mom for a week? Bless these moms for trying! Would you intervene if you saw this happening to a kid in public? A new study suggests racial bias is pervasive...

You know how much we love to seek out the very coolest baby registry essentials and must-haves, both as a group of moms who are searching for cool baby gifts for our own new additions, and as those who only wish we had them when ours were young ones. Especially when it comes to cool eco baby products that make you feel that much better about the items you’re buying. So we are beyond thrilled to have joined up with the most perfect partner, Gugu Guru, the brilliant online baby registry, for some of the coolest baby essentials. They make personalized, unbiased product...

If our most popular post of 2015, which introduced the brilliant and much coveted Blankie Tails, is any indication, there are now swarms of kids across America, flipping (ha) for their super-soft, well-made mermaid and shark tail blankets that are perfect for cozying up on the couch, or showing off at sleepovers. Lucky for all their kid fans, Blankie Tails just released the perfect complement to their people-sized tails: mermaid tails for dolls. Kind of ridiculous — and yet, ridiculously cute, right? After all, kids are outfitting their American Girl dolls in everything from equestrian wear to leg casts, so why not mermaid tails? I love that these...

The internet’s been all atwitter about the re-release of the Misty Copeland Barbie doll. Can we blame the buzz? It’s Misty Copeland — brilliant prima ballerina, African-American trailblazer, and all-around girl crush. Apparently we’re not the only ones who feel so strongly about a doll representing her. As part of Mattel’s Barbie “Sheroes” collection, made for adult collectors (but coveted by kids too), she sold out within an hour of its original release. So the fact that Target and Amazon are getting more in stock in a few days is fantastic news, especially since the Misty Copeland Barbie dolls I’ve been trolling...

You may remember Cuddle and Kind’s beautiful hand-knit dolls, which we featured last fall. We gushed over how cute the line is, and even more impressive, their amazing mission to feed hungry kids with ten meals donated to major hunger-fighting charities with the purchase of every doll. And, wow, did our readers ever respond: This remarkable company has already donated over 200,000 meals to kids in need in just over half a year. Now, Cuddle and Kind’s Little Collection — a new line of the same sweet dolls, but mini versions of their originals — is matching the mission. For every Cuddle and Kind doll purchased, whether it’s their original 20″ or their new 13″ doll,...

I love that it’s become par for the course these days to raise our girls with the knowledge that they can do whatever they want and be whomever they aspire to be — astronaut, organic farmer, singer, plumber, President. And we’re all hoping they use their undeniable powers for good, which, if you think about it, is kind of the essence of a superhero. So, in honor of National Superhero Day (yes, that’s a real thing!), we’ve rounded up some of our favorite superhero gifts for girls who can do, well, anything. (Top image: superhero capes from Lovelane) From dolls and capes to books and artwork, I think these are some wonderful gifts that...

I am so happy to discover Melanites, a new line of dolls created in a “celebration of brown boyhood,” thanks to the wonderful mind of Boston entrepreneur and minority youth mentor, Jennifer Pierre. While we’re always on the lookout for cool dolls for boys, as well as multicultural dolls that represent the varied ethnic and racial identities of our kids who want to play with them, this is one toy line that aims to accomplish both. Related: Target removes boy and girl toy aisles, Internet implodes. Jennifer’s goal is to take on the normalization of hypermasculinity, and help more boys of color to feel valued and empowered in society through a...